Loneliness in the workplace is an
epidemic.

Why are leaders unaware of this? Because
the lonely individual often thinks that they are the only
ones feeling this way and they don’t express their concerns.

Workplace loneliness needs to be taken seriously. Feelings
of loneliness and isolation leads to lower productivity, lack of motivation,
depression, poor team performance, as well as mistakes and accidents.

Leaders complain about lack of engagement. Meanwhile,
their people feel like no one is paying attention, nor cares, about
their human side. In other words, the lonely individual feels like the
organization is neither engaging nor caring and they feel lonely and
isolated even if there are people around.

If a person is shy and introverted, it may be harder
for them to bond with others, but with appropriate actions they can
build positive relationships. A common cause of loneliness is the
age gaps in the workplace. We have four generations working together.
What are you doing to get them to relate to each other?

Another cause is the reliance on electronics. More talk and less phone
can help here!

Working from home is great but there needs to be efforts to build
relationships.

Here are 7 tips to combat loneliness:
1. Be kind to yourself first so you can
be kind to others. See yourself as a person,
not just a “boss” or “coworker.”
2. Make sure your actions speak louder than
your words. Don’t just tell someone you are
there for them; be there when they need you. Offer to help or
train them.
3. Show gratitude and give recognition often and sincerely.
4. Invite people to sit with you at lunch. Engage in positive
conversations.
5. Conduct team building activities and use warm-ups at meetings.
6. Make your meetings and training upbeat and interactive.
7. Have team outings or mini-celebrations a few times a year so everyone has
a chance to bond and build relationships in a more relaxed environment.
If you work to combat loneliness, the results will pay off many times over!!!